The Sarah Experiment
by Nerio
Summary: With each step, Sarah marches into a world she innocently created, a world she cannot escape. Darkish.


_It has been theorized that an intense concentration by a person or persons can bring forth entities that previously did not exist (reference, the Philip Experiment). What if Sarah created the world of_ The Labyrinth, _but her journey did not end as she hoped it would?_

 _Disclaimer: This particular author is_ super _confused about what is considered canon with_ The Labryinth _and what is not (if you'd like to help, please PM me!), so have an open mind and some leniency whilst reading this. It's all for fun, my friend!_

 _If you wished the movie had ended differently, read on._

* * *

 **One**

The book sat innocently on the shelf, a slight manuscript amongst a horde of similar texts; the likelihood of it being selected and read seemed highly improbably. Yet the slim work made its way to the fingers of an imaginative teen, and within its pages she found a new world, mystical world.

 **Two**

The red leather volume became a constant companion to the young girl, Sarah. The world within seemed so much better than the world outside. A brave heroine, a dastardly villain, and a tale of unknown adventures: the story possessed so many wonderful components that Sarah's creative mind was completely enthralled by it, and the characters came to life in the wild confines of her imaginings. At times, when she was sitting in the quiet by herself, it seemed she could open her eyes and a creature, unknown but to those who had read _the book,_ would be standing before her.

 **Three**

Sarah, ever the enthusiast for fantasy, began to decorate the corners of her room with items that reminded her of the people and places from her favorite tale. A beguiling princess here, a ghoulish character there, and over time her private sanctuary began to bare witness to Sarah's blossoming obsession. She had even found a picture that, she felt, properly displayed the setting of the final encounter between the protagonist and the antagonist. Within the walls of her room, she began to build her kingdom.

 **Four**

When quick flashes of movement occurred in the corner of her eyesight, Sarah was hopeful that the story of the winding maze was true. Perhaps little creatures were visiting her from the world below, observing and conspiring. As greatly as she wished for that to be the case, she knew the sudden flashes of black speeding across the room were nothing more than her own imagination. It was not the first time her overactive brain tricked her into seeing things that were not there. Sadly she accepted the truth, though she silently continued to wish it were not so.

 **Five**

What compelled the girl to start acting out scenes from the book, she did not recall. However, it seemed that simply staring at words on a page was not adequate enough for the passion burgeoning inside her. On warm afternoons, she took to the outdoors, away from prying and judgmental eyes, with the intent of speaking her favorite story aloud. The actions flowed from her, as if they were a part of her, and she relished in the new closeness she felt with her beloved book. She would recite passages from it with ease. At times, she felt she could recall the whole thing without any help, if she tried hard enough. It was on those magical days, when the world of the fantasy book collided with her reality, Sarah would lie underneath the big, wide sky and dream of what life could be like.

 **Six**

Sarah had an audience, a white owl that perched ever so lovely atop a stone obelisk. The creature was magnificent and beautiful – a perfect replica of what she had imagined _his_ owl would look like. Inspired, and secretly hopeful that the being she was performing to really was the dreaded villain, Sarah passionately rehearsed her diatribe. A more perfect day had never been experienced by the girl, that is, until she forgot the final line. Dismayed she retreated home, accompanied by a foul mood and building storm.

 **Seven**

Was it so preposterous of her to say the words, to threaten to her brother's existence? She had spent the day repeating lines from the book with no fantastical outcome, but something was different this time. Along with the light, her brother's cries had been extinguished as she left the room. She turned around, horrified with what she might find.

 **Eight**

There was a part of her, the less rational part of her, that was immensely excited about the venture she was embarking on. Sarah knew the story backwards and forwards, and she knew that she had what it took to defeat the maze. What the girl couldn't fathom, however, was how it all came about. Had the quiet voice in the back of her mind been speaking the truth all this time? Was the story of the labyrinth true? At the moment, it mattered very little to the young brunette, as she had a mission to carry out. But with each step she took, she prayed she would not wake to find the quest to be nothing more than a figment of her nighttime slumber.

 **Nine**

She had been tricked, hoodwinked! The miserable little troll that had promised to help her was no more than a devious fraud, a horrible phony. At least, she was almost certain he was. Her thoughts were foggy and slow to form, like a substance was preventing her from creating any original idea. Something was wrong; her current location was not where she should be, she was almost certain. The colors were hazy and diluted; the people – actual people, not strange little gremlins – were loud in their drunken state. There was a face that kept shining through the bleariness, a visage that she felt drawn to. Everything was strange and uncomfortable, but she could not understand why. It was not until she saw the golden clock that she realized someone had been swirling her around, spinning and dancing with her. It was him, the wily scoundrel that abducted her Toby. She fled from the man, breaking what she hoped was the only barrier in her way, and then she fell.

 **Ten**

The escapade was so wonderfully exciting, so incredibly stimulating. Indeed, the young Sarah was certain she was conquering the labyrinth with ease, no doubt due to the depth of knowledge and intelligence she possessed. That is, until she felt herself sinking, being buried underneath the _things_ and the _stuff_ of the Labyrinth. The creature, goblin, whatever she was, continued to add items to Sarah's collection, smothering her with the very knickknacks she valued so much to decorate her walls. Up until recently, Sarah felt so very much in control, like no obstacle could keep her from rescuing her baby brother and defeating the wretched Goblin King, but now she felt so terribly dismayed, hopelessly crushed. The depression that sunk on her almost settled in her bones, until she realized that she was being consumed, suffocated by her things. No! She would not have it. Resolutely, she stood and quietly took her departure from the terrible room. Above the junk lay redemption and freedom, and she eagerly crawled to it.

 **Eleven**

Sarah was prepared, totally and completely ready, for that fateful encounter between her and the terrible scoundrel. There was nothing that existed outside the two of them; it was just Sarah and her obligation to defeat the villain. The words came easily, until she arrived at the last line, which she stumbled over; however, the empowering phrase was said, and the terrible fellow fell, defeated and vanquished. The moment had been so perfect; the adventure had been perfect, too. Sarah had her brother back, and all was well, every dream fulfilled.

 **Twelve**

She was in her home, her own bedroom to be exact, and she was not alone. Her friends, the comical little creatures that aided Sarah in her journey, laughed and chattered with one another. Sarah loved the fact that her friends were still present and that the Labyrinth was not just a story. She always knew that there was something special about the little fairy-tale, and it was beyond exhilarating to know that all of her wildest dreams had come true. She had run the maze, beat the villain, and made some incredible friends. She _was_ the heroine of her fantasies. Seeing all the whimsical creatures in her mirror brought a wide smile to Sarah's face, and she spun around, hopeful to find them _actually_ in the room with her. Instead she was greeted by an individual far more fearsome than the misunderstood Ludo.

 **Thirteen**

Sarah could not vocalize the many questions that instantly flooded her baffled mind – the words were stuck in her constricted throat, refusing to budge. Her confusion and dread were apparent, though, by the widening of her sea-foam green eyes and the rigid stance unwittingly adopted by her bones.

"Hello Sarah," the Goblin King called to her. The wicked man sat ever so daintily on the edge of her bed, perfectly comfortable and obviously content. The brunette quickly glanced at her vanity, hoping to see her dear friends present in the mirror, yet all she found was the cruel Jareth, grinning toothily at her. Anger replaced confusion, freeing Sarah's stiff limbs from their stupor.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sarah huffed indignantly, stomping her foot and crossing her arms. "And where are my friends?" How very unfair it was for him to appear when she was expecting far more agreeable company.

"Friends," he echoed. "If you are referring to those that helped you run the Labyrinth, they are elsewhere." The man, dressed in ridiculously flamboyant attire, gave her a wolfish stare, and for the first time since she accidentally summoned the Goblin King, Sarah felt afraid. Something was terrible wrong. She defeated him, and that was supposed to be the end of her turmoil.

" _How_ are you here?" Sarah rephrased her earlier question, hoping to gain some enlightenment on the situation. "You fell. I beat you," she stammered, trying to explain why he shouldn't be sitting in her room.

"This is true," he acknowledge, playing with a crystal sphere that had magically appeared. "However, your fairy-tale ending will not be the end of things. Sarah, you created the Labyrinth, wished it and all of its inhabitants into existence."

Sarah began a line of inquires, but she was abruptly cut short by the cutting glare of the Goblin King. "While you achieved the endings of your dreams, you left certain elements of the story unsatisfied, mainly me. Unlike the character in your fiction, _I_ am not so easily defeated and I refuse to be bested by simple sayings and childish quests."

The villain's explanation swirled around Sarah, making her feel lightheaded and overwhelmed. Was he saying she had not won? How was that even possible? The story ended with the protagonist smothering any power the antagonist had over her, and that is exactly what she had done. She had renounced his authority.

"You have no right, no _power_ ," Sarah bellowed, hoping he would once again be defeated by the words and disappear from existence. He stayed, unperturbed.

"Oh but I do, sweet Sarah, and you gave it to me. Your fervent wishes, dreams, and prayers were heard by the powers that be, and they deigned to create the world you so hopelessly pleaded for. You received the endings of your dreams, and now that it has been completed, I am free to act as I may. Unfortunately, dear one, you created beings with free will, and I choose to let you face reality."

"What does that mean?" she asked, hardly believing what was happening.

"Fairy-tales are not real; happy endings do not happen, and I am going to teach you that lesson." With his verdict announced, the feral king released a wild cackle before refocusing his colorfully mismatched gaze onto his prey. "Now you'll experience the _real_ Labyrinth, the one of my choosing."


End file.
